Tiny Houses For Homeless Coming To Riverside County

HEMET, CA — The Valley Restart Shelter in Hemet is adding six tiny homes to its property, aiming to help those in need start their journey back toward self-sufficiency, the executive director for the facility says.

The easy-to-assemble Pallet Homes, built by a Washington-based company and delivered to Riverside County, will provide dignity of private space to homeless men, according to Valley Restart Shelter Executive Director Javier Lopez.

The units, along with a shower and restroom facility, will serve unhoused men in the San Jacinto, Hemet and Inland Empire areas, according to Lopez.

Valley Restart Shelter houses families and women in need, providing wraparound services to help them return to self-sufficiency. Each year, the nonprofit receives donations of coats, food, toiletries, and other items for the people it serves. The shelter seeks to expand with the growing need for its services to help homeless men, who are greatly underserved in the area, according to Lopez.

The Pallet Homes are a step in that direction. Each unit is 64 square feet and is built for single occupancy. The tiny homes are durable, insulated, and "a proven stepping stone to permanent housing," according to the builder's website.

The foundations for the tiny homes are ready to go, and Valley Restart Shelter awaits a final say from the city of Hemet that volunteers can assemble the structures.

According to Lopez, each person who moves in will have a background check and rules to abide by. They will be expected to do chores and take part in their community. The units have locking doors, 9-foot ceilings, air conditioning, heat, power, shelves for belongings and a folding bed for maximum space. They are pest-proof and come with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

"This is a temporary home," Lopez says. "It is not permanent housing, just a launching point to help people get to where they need to go."

Valley Restart Shelter began operations in 1989 on land that once held Hemet's YMCA building. Before that, the location housed migrant farm workers. Recently, the shelter has updated its facilities and grounds and is working to increase its footprint to help the many homeless in the Inland Empire.

"Our facility serves unhoused families and women," Lopez told Patch in a phone interview. "To date, there is a great need for homeless services for men and seniors."

The shelter also offers case management and wraparound services to help in whatever ways are needed. Lopez says finding a place for unhoused men was the next logical step, and six units manufactured by Pallet Homes is a start.

Visit and/or donate to Valley Restart Shelter.